


Last Night

by aloevera



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 18:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13277589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aloevera/pseuds/aloevera
Summary: Tony's parties are starting to get to everyone.





	Last Night

Being an Avenger comes with its challenges, as does any job, but the perks that also come along are worth more than their weight in gold. You get to work with your closest friends, help innocent people, and see more of the world than you ever thought possible. You get to be a hero, a force of good and light and positivity, and that is, in itself, one of life’s greatest pleasures.

One of those pesky challenges that threatens to overshadow the great joy you take in being an Avenger? Tony Stark’s infamous parties.

"I swear,” you grumble as you brush an unruly piece of hair away from your face, “he keeps throwing these parties because he knows we’re all getting tired of them.”

Natasha laughs at your grumbling as she motions for you to turn around. “Lighten up,” she teases as she zips the back of your dress, “it gives us all an excuse to run around, get drunk, and pretend the weight of the world doesn’t rest on our shoulders for a few minutes. He’s throwing these parties to distract us.”

“Realistically,” you sigh as you slip on a pair of heels Natasha forced you into, “I know this. It doesn’t annoy me any less, though. I just want to sit in the common room, watch a movie with you guys, and pretend we’re all normal people. Not waltz around a ballroom and make small talk with drunk agents. Seriously, the next agent to get handsy is going out a window.”

Natasha shakes her head at your threat, knowing you wouldn’t intentionally harm anyone too severely, and nudges you out of your bedroom. “We’ll do a movie night next week,” she promises as the two of you step into the elevator, “we can watch whatever you want.”

Before you can respond, a voice calls through the hallway and instructs you to hold the elevator. “Thank you,” Steve grins as he and Bucky step into the elevator. “We were just coming to find the two of you. Tony figured you’d try and get out of the party.”

“Believe me,” you laugh as you glance up at Steve, “I wanted to. But Nat wouldn’t let me. So, here we are.”

“If it’s any consolation,” Steve begins slowly, “you look beautiful.” You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks but before you can utter a ‘thank you,’ Natasha clears her throat a little too obnoxiously and Steve quickly adds, “Both of you. Uh, both of you look beautiful.”

Natasha and Bucky share a laugh at Steve’s stuttered words and you can hear Bucky mutter, “Smooth,” under his breath but before you can return your attention to Steve, the doors are opening and he’s disappearing into the crowd.

“I think I need a drink,” you sigh as you allow Natasha to loop her arm around yours, “or maybe ten.”

The party itself is exactly like every other Stark party you’ve attended. There are reporters, hoping for a scoop or a picture or something even remotely newsworthy (although, you’re certain nothing will top the time Thor got drunk and nearly destroyed the Empire State Building accidentally); there are agents, bustling about and more than happy to take advantage of the open bar; there are other billionaires, friends of Tony’s who have come to enjoy his hospitality and catch up with everyone’s favorite billionaire; and then there are the Avengers, each in their own little world and dealing with the attention as best as they can.

None of you are too fond of the attention (that’s a lie, Pietro rather likes it) but you acquiesce for Tony’s sake. You know that he’s always got your best interest in mind, he’d never do anything truly malicious to make you uncomfortable, but you can’t help feeling a tinge of annoyance as you down another drink to drown out the agent boasting by your side.

“It was a tough mission,” he drones as he swirls what looks like a terrible red wine in his glass, “but I made it, alone. Took out an entire HYDRA base. It wasn’t really a big deal, though.”

“No,” you huff as you turn a little too fast, “it really wasn’t. I do it all the time. If you’ll excuse me.”

The agent at your side begins to protest but you’re weaving through the crowd, your head swimming and your feet beginning to ache, before he can get the first sentence out. You’re almost home free, the elevator is in your line of sight, when you feel a hand wrap around your wrist.

“Are you alright?” Steve questions, leaning in close to be heard over the music and chatter.

“I’m fine,” you nod but Steve glances at you and you know he doesn’t buy it. Instead of letting you go, he guides you out of the ballroom and onto one of the balconies.

“So,” he begins as he leans against the railing, “how are you, really?”

You shrug and glance out at the city lights. “It’s always the same thing,” you sigh, emboldened by the alcohol, “we save the world, Tony throws a party, we get drunk, we go to bed, we do it all again the next day. It just feels like it’s routine at this point. Those drunk agents being annoying, Tony expecting us to come down here and socialize like we’re in a zoo or something. I know that he has our best interests at heart, really, but it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if all of this is what I want to do.”

Steve is stunned into silence for a moment before he moves to stand a little closer to you. “You’re wondering if being an Avenger is what you want to do?” he questions, his heart beating alarmingly fast as he begins to imagine a team without you on it.

“Sometimes,” you sigh, “I don’t know. It just feels like a lot. The good usually outweighs the bad but it’s been a weird few weeks. I don’t know. Ignore me. I’m drunk.”

Steve shakes his head and steps a little closer to you. “I can’t ignore you,” he assures you as he focuses all of his attention on you. “I want you to feel like you can talk to me. You don’t have to figure anything out on your own.”

“I know,” you whine as you turn and bury your face in Steve’s chest. “There’s nothing to figure out. I’m not going anywhere. I’m happy, with the Avengers and helping people, and I’m kind of in love with you so that doesn’t really give me much choice but to stay here. I just hate Tony’s parties and the predictability of it all. I don’t know. I’m drunk. I need to sleep it off.”

Steve stares at the top of your head, unsure of whether or not you really, truly are in love with him and if you’re really considering leaving the team or if you’re just drunk, but he doesn’t let himself dwell on it as he wraps a protective arm around you. “Come on,” he sighs quietly, “let’s get you to bed.”

He knows that there will have to be a conversation in the morning but, for the time being, he pushes it all to the back of his mind and focuses on getting you up to bed without incident. It’s a task, especially when it comes time to help you take off your makeup and change into pajamas, but Steve is dutiful and he endures the rambling, the giggles, and the sighs until you’re tucked in and fast asleep.

You wake up exactly as Steve left you, in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt (both on backwards) and tucked in bed with a bottle of water and a bottle of painkillers on your bedside table. The hangover isn’t as bad as you’re expecting (you’ve had better but you’ve also had far worse) and it’s not long before you can drag yourself out of bed and into the shower.

You feel almost human by the time you drag yourself to the kitchen and you want to laugh at the sight before you. Natasha, Bucky, and Thor are as normal as ever, each of them having mastered the art of drinking you all under the table with few (if any) adverse side-effects long ago but the rest of the team?

They’re suffering.

Sam looks as if he’s going to throw up as he clutches the counter with one hand and his head with the other; Wanda and Pietro are leaning on one another, and the wall, for support as they search for a seat; Bruce looks a little green; Clint is hanging on by a thread; and Tony, the mastermind behind the debauchery, looks worse for wear as he adjusts his sunglasses and rests his head on the cool marble counter.

“Last night might’ve gotten out of hand,” he admits when he catches your scornful look, “only slightly.”

“Only slightly?” Clint questions, “I think I need a new liver.”

Wanda groans an agreement from across the room. “This is the worst I have ever felt. I now understand why you warned me to stop,” she directs as Natasha before she lets her eyes close and her head lean against the wall. “I can’t even hear my own thoughts today.”

Sam throws a dirty look at Bucky who is doing a terrible job of concealing his laughter. “Shut up, tin man,” he huffs as he lifts his head just enough to fully see Bucky.

“Alright,” Steve calls as he enters the kitchen, “let’s not get started this morning. I’m sure everyone’s annoyed and tired. Get something to eat, take something for your hangovers, and we’ll reschedule training for later this afternoon.” The team members all mumble affirmatives and grumbles before Steve turns to you. “Hey, listen, we should probably talk about last night,” he says, quietly enough to not be heard by any of the other members of the team.

“Sure,” you nod, your mind instantly beginning to race, “uh, balcony?”

Steve follows you out onto the balcony and hesitates for a moment before he asks, “Do you remember anything that happened last night?”

“Please tell me I didn’t throw an agent out a window. I remember getting annoyed by this guy at the bar but, honestly, after that it’s all a blur. I started drinking to drown him out,” you sigh as you try to gauge how upset he is.

“No,” Steve assures you with a small smile, “you didn’t throw anyone out a window. You said that you were wondering if the team was where you wanted to be, among other things.”

You blink at his words and sigh heavily before you turn to glance out at the cityscape. “I’ve wondered,” you inform him quietly, “not often but some. It’s not always bad. I love being a part of the team. I love you guys and helping people. Some things do get to me, though. Not being able to save everyone, not being able to stop destruction and danger, not being able to ignore Tony’s invitations,” you add with a small smile. “But, generally, I know that I want to be here. I just think that, sometimes, I have to remember what makes it all worth it.”

Steve is quiet for a minute before he nods slowly. “So, you’re not thinking about leaving?”

“Not at the moment,” you assure him, “no. I’m content. Not with this hangover, unfortunately, but in general.” You pause for a moment before you cast a curious glance in his direction. “What else did I say last night?”

Steve hesitates before he informs you, “You told me that you were kind of in love with me.”

“Oh.”

Steve stares at you for a moment before he asks, “Is that it? ‘Oh’?”

“Well,” you sigh, “I wanted to tell you in a different way but I guess drunk me beat me to it. Yeah, I’m in love with you. The ‘kinda’ part was a little bit of a lie. I’m more in ‘head over heels’ territory now.”

Steve stands in stunned silence for a beat before he asks, “How long?”

“A while,” you shrug. “I don’t know. The mission in Germany, I think, is when it really hit me. But I’ve had a crush on you for as long as we’ve both been Avengers. There’s just something about you, Steve. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, though. Or if you’re not ready. I don’t expect any reciprocation. I’m glad you know, though.”

Steve is silent for so long that you’re about to give up when you feel his hand cup your cheek. He’s gentle as he turns your head to face him once more and you want to melt at the smile on his lips. “The mission in Germany did it for me, too,” he informs you, “that’s when I knew I was in over my head and in love with you.”

Before you can respond, Steve leans in and closes the small gap between the two of you. His lips press to yours in a sweet, chaste kiss before he pulls away and rests his forehead against yours. “I love you,” he whispers with a smile.

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so bad at summaries. I don't think I've written one in a very long time.


End file.
